St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1887-10-27
Leprosy in Louisiana.

RebeccG Harding DGots IN HGrper's Magazine
Mr.. Ely and the priest lodged in the
house of one of the petits habitants
In the evening, when they were alone
the subject of leprOsy came up.
awe hear at the North" said Mr.
Ely, "vague accounts of the Terre DIES
Lepreux, which is said to be some
where in Louisiana. What truth is
there in them 2"
"They are no doubt greatly exag-
gerated," said Father Nedaud. IA
spurious leprOsy, elephantiasis was so
common among the negroes under the
Spanish domination that Governor Mi
rO founded a hospital for lepers neal
New Orleans, on the Bayou st. John.
1t has been gone these many years,
and Lepers' Land is now built up with
pretty houses. 1t was in the suburb
IRENE"
"The disense is extinct, then 2"
"There were some cases of genuine
Asiatic leprOsy near Abbeville, in this
parish, about twenty years ago. An
old creole lady was the first. Her fa-
ther doubtless brought the terrible
faint in his blood from France. When
the white scales appeared in her face
her husband and family fled from her.
There was a young girl, daughter of
M'sieu Dubois, who went to her and
nursed her alone during the three
years in which she fought with death.
Another of Gods servants, m'sieu
came lepers. The young girl who had
young fermier, and lived happily in
4. Al L.. .Al 4
pretty baby. But one day a shining
white spot appeared on her forehead.
That was the end"
"She died"
"M'sieu, after four years. There is
no cure. 1t surely does not matter to
her now by what road God called her
to Him. There have been since then
no lepers in this parish except in these
tainted families. The real Terre des
Lepreux in Louisiana is now on the
lower LafOurche, below Harang's Ca
nal. The bayou there is turbid and
foul; it flows through malarious
swamps lower than itself. The creole
planters there are honest and temper
ate folk, but they are wretchedly poor.
They raise only rice, and live on it
and fish. The wet rice fields come up
to the very doors of their cabins. The
leprosy which certain families among
them have Inherited is developed by
these conditions Five years ago
Professor Joseph Jones, president of
the state board of health, went him
self with his son to explore the cypress
swamps and lagOons of the lower La
fourche. M'sieu, it is the region of
the shadow of death. He found many
poor lepers hiding there. They were
as dead men who walk and talk. They
could handle burning Goals they felt
no longer cold nor heat nor pain.
Their bodies were as corpses. One
man lived alone in hut, matched
with palmettOes, which he had built
for himself, eating only the rice which
he had planted. No man nor woman
had come near him for years. The
Terre des Lepreux extends as far as
Cheniere Caminada, where the bayou
into the Gulf"
Mr.. Ely remained silent, though a
torrent of angry queries rushed to his
lips. Why was nothing done to miti-
gate the horrors of such life-in DEATH
How could this priest, a man of God,
so calmly discuss these poor accursed
creatures from his safe, comfortable
point of vantage, jogging on his easy
going mare from one farm to another
He babe him presently a rather curt
good night, and went to the loft where
he was to sleep. When he came down
in the morning, Pere Nedaud had
gone.
"M'sieu," said his smiling host, "le
pere hat lef' you bon matin," waving
his hand to the black figure passing
far across the prairie.
"Where is his charge now T
"M'sieu-" Gaspard paused a mo-
ment. SIN hell, | think. 1t is near
Cheniere Caminada, in. la Terre des
Lepreux."
Mr.. Ely walked away from him, and
paced up and down the levee for a
ong time.
God forgive me!' he muttered to
himself.